Apparatus and method for centrifugally molding tubular concrete elements



May l, 1951 2,550,858

J. T. PARRETT APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CENTRIFUGALLY MOLDING TUBULAR CONCRETE ELEMENTS Filed Nov. 26, 1949 .wA I 36 lill JNVENTOR.

Jon-1N T. PARRETT Y wPatented May nl, 1951 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CENTRIFU; GALLY MOLDING TUBULAR- CONCRETE ELEMENTS JohnrT. Parrott, New York, N. Y., assignor to Raymond Concrete Pile Company,` New York, N. Y., a corporationof New Jersey Application November26, 19.49, Serial No. 129,657

This invention relates to the manufacture of concrete members or bodies and more particularly to apparatus and methods by which the concrete being molded is subjected to substantial centrifugal force sufcient to cause liquid to be separated from the mixture. For example, among other possibilities the invention is adapted fory the manufacture of tubular concrete members by spinning in a rapidly revolving mold.

In forming tubular concrete members in this way, a considerable amount of water tends to be separated from the concrete mix by reason of the effect of centrifugal force. Since water has a lower specific gravity than the remainder of thel i thenalong the surfaces of the end barriers of the mold and radially inwardly thereof, with sufricient force and in such amount as to form channelsor otherwise erode and carry away particles of the mixture, with the result that the end surfaces of the desired concrete member will have numerous irregularities, and portions near the ends` will have a weakened honeycomb-like structure. While these imperfections have evidently not caused serious difficulties with tubular concrete members as generally heretofore used for various purposes, yet if the nished tubular sections are to be assembled end-to-end to form, for example, continuous pre-stressed lengths of pipe or certain types of piles, it is very important that the end surfaces be accurately andtightly fitted as well as strong and capable of uniformly bearing the pressure of heavy endwise loads.

Suitable means and methods for forming con-v crete members for such purposes with sufficiently accurate and unweakened end surfaces, by the use of spinning operations, have, despite exten-` sive efforts, heretofore, so far as is known, involved insurmountable difficulties for the reason above indicated.

I have discovered, however, according to the present invention, that this diiiiculty may be overcome by the relatively simple expedient of interposing a layer orsheet of filtering or filterlikemat'erial between the barriers at the ends of the Aspinning mold and the mass of concrete being cast therein. Such filtering layer or sheet allows the liquid to travel therein gradually and generally radially along the inside surfaces of the end barriers while filtering the cement from the water and maintaining" the cement and the remainder of the concrete body in position so` that channelling or erosion thereof is prevented and the end portions and surfaces are maintained to the desired accurate dimensions, free of irregularities or weakened portions.4 Preferably also small outlets for the Water are provided in the mold adjacent the periphery of such filtering layer so thatv the liquid will travel radiallyoutward of the layer and be expelled through such outlets, although if such outlets are not used, the liquid will be forced to travel without serious diiculty along within the ltering layer toward the axis of spinning, due to the pressure of the portions of the concrete having greater specific gravity than the liquid.

The filtering sheet or layer may taire Various forms, either as a permanent part of the end barriers for the spinning mold or the formy of' wovenor knitted cloth, or fibrous sheet material, held in place on the inside surface of the end barriers by water soluble adhesive for example, and vby mechanical means if desired. For the usual concrete mix in the making of vtubular concrete sections by spinning, I have found that lter material in the form of an annular area of cloth such as fine muslin is preferable, although fine mesh wire cloth may in some cases be used to provide a more permanent surface covering.'

Various further and more specific objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear from the description given below taken in con-j nection with the accompanying drawing forme' ing a part of the specification and illustrating by way of example a preferred embodiment of the invention.

VIn, the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view partially broken away, of one form of molding apparatus ber I2 by the spinning of the latter. The drum is or otherwise secured respectively to said edges.

End pieces or barrier means of annular forni. as at 22, 24 are provided in a position to extend partially into the two ends.l IeSDeiiMGy Of. the chamber I2. These serve. to provide surfaces dening the end surfaces of the concrete member I as molded in the apparatus.- Thamemf bers 22 and 24 are shown asisecureol-together` mandrel means 26. (The specific construction or the mandrel means used forms4 no part of the present invention, although it may benotecl` that same may comprise rods or tubes covered, b y rubber to facilitate easy withdrawal thereof from the cavities in the concreteafter sainekrassen)I Such" mandrel means are secured asby nuts 3l]V atione end and as` byV transverseV pins. 28 passing therethrough atthe other end. A, plurality oi these-mandrel means., as shown, may be arranged infparallelV relationfat circumferentially spaced. positions around, inside the. region YwhereA the con-f.. creeis' tothe molded and same may-actas @fires to,"Y form longitudinal hoieskm through the: wall. of tliefconerete member. I9, Thai;A 15, after: Spimrin'gv of the apparatus and after the concrete hashe-v comeA sufficiently firms inthe position shown, thev niar'idrel4 means maybe disconnected from onegor the other of the membersf22, 24 and the latterA members mayfbe removed with the mandrel means vattached. to one or theother thereof, thus. leaving longitudinal cavitiesin the concrete to( ac-. commodate tensioned wires; or other pliestressingIv reinforcing means whichA may, be threadedy through such cavitiesA When the concrete,mem;` bersuare being installed-in position for yuse.v

As best shown in Fig.` 2, the .inner annulansurf face portion of member- 22` (as well as ofrnemberfZllf) is covered with alayer of, oneo r,another;l of the',v above-mentioned filtering materials, or filter-like materials (as indicated at- 32). Itwillw beapparent that such filtering materiallmaybel cutsinthe'form of an annular ring-likeharea and. that the inner peripheral edgevmaly. be foldedA down overthe inside surface offthemember 22.y The latter surface is preferably. formed with anA annular groove. as at 34. intowhichr. the, filter. material is'pressed and. retained by anannularl shapfedipiece.of wire or the like35. The,filtering; material, of course may beformed with suitable. apertures. allowing the mandrel rrieansfZliI to pass therethrough. The.y outer vperipheral edge of the.; lterinyg. material as` at 38 isxfoldedovera partv o f the outer surface of the member 22 andheldv in position by the. .overlying endedge portions, l2.' oi the chamber member I 2.

The layer of filtering material 32 is preferably adhered in place by a suitable waterr'eleasable' adhesive, such, for. example, as as imple paste of ourand water. Suchadhesion insureathat iduring theintroductionof the concreteiinto'thel.

4 member 22 adjacent its periphery is formed with a circumferential groove 40, which groove at several spaced points about the member 22 communicates with longitudinally extending outlet openings as at 42.

ItV will be understood that, except as above indicatedLthe-:two end portipns` ofi the; molding apparatus may be of-the same construction.

In using the apparatus as shown, the wet concrete mix which is to form the concrete member I-.Qgis introduced into the molding apparatus while the chamber. is rotating at a speed fast enough to cause the mixture to distribute itself ai'. nvdgthe. inside of; the chamber, and then pre- N the speed Qi rotation is increased, for exampletosuc ,an extent that the periphery of thecliarnber will rotate at a linear speed of about 3000 ft'. per minute, such spinning being maintained say for about ten minutes. During this time a substantial portion of the water or other liquid iny the. concrete? mixy will` be" caused by centrifugal. force to. moreA or lessx separata from the mixture. and, travel. generally radially in:

wardly. oi' the concrete and accumulate onr the..

inside surface ofthe mass Ill. However, as above explained, a. consider-able amount of, the water which is in the4 concrete near,- the ends, of the` mass, as wellas the water, at the ends of the mass, -would,normally tend to travel, along the easiest path, viz. along the smooth surface o f. themembers 22 and 2 4, in. sufcient amount and with. sufficient force toY carry, along with. itv ai part o the cement or other. ingredients of the mixture, thus. leaving the end. portions of the concrete `tf-ith a honeycombelilte structure and causing. generally radial channels. to be4 eroded,away,v along the end sur-facesof the con..

crete. However, with the above described layers, of filtering material32 in place, these will act` substantially as a filtering means. toretain the cement and other particles of the mixture in. placayet allowing the water gradually to'passv along the inner surfaces of. themembers 22, 2Q.

by, seepage through the interstiees of the filter-A ing` material. If cavities and apertures asv at dd'rarepresenathe water will be free to pass.

along within the filtering material radially outwardl andvk escape through the` passages and cavities;v O nthe. other hand, if such` passages.

' will be. formed, with accurately shapedendsurfacesfreeI of channelsror weakened areas. As soon as., ther wet concreteA mix comes firmly against, thelltering. layer 3,2, it will.no ,longer be necessary. to. retainthe filtering layers by Ythe adhesive. against separation fronrfthve members 2,21-, 2li., andthefwater in the mix. will actto re. lellaslez.. suchnadhesive. and., insure. that the.inter-. stices in the iiltering layer will be suciently open. to, permitAv seepage.A theretl'irilughr ofthe water,

As above.. explained, among.. other materials. aatheltering means, rmuslin cloth may. preferinch, forl exam le.. Itdesired, the, mesh of the l v filtering layer may be sufiicientlyr-prominent sothat its patternwill appear cast in-Ythe` end surfacessi theffcesrete .member This undersertai,ncircurnstances,l will provide adesirable-su f.

substantially-intact and thus the` concrete body-v means may be applied to the end of the member when in use.

The concrete is finally allowedto stand in the apparatus for a considerable period and until it has set with sufficient firmness to permit its removal from the mold. At that time or previous- 1y, the end members and mandrel means may be removed. The tubular portion of the chamber may be opened up by removing the bolts I0 to permit removal of the finished concrete member.

Although certain particular embodiments of the invention are herein disclosed for purposes of explanation, Various further modifications thereof, after study of this specification, will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. Reference should accordn ingly be had to the appended claims in determining the scope of the invention.

What is claimed and desired tobe secured by Letters Patent is:

l. In apparatus for molding concrete by spinning a mass of wet concrete mixture, the combination comprising a tubular chamber, means for supporting said chamber and spinning same about a longitudinal axis, said chamber having barrier means at an end with a surface transverse to the axis of rotation for substantially defining an end surface of the concrete member to be formed, and an area of filtering material covering said end barrier surface for protecting the end surface of the concrete against erosion due to radial expulsion of water from the spinning concrete mixture, said ltering ma- 6. terial providing interstices along the end barrier surface through which Water filtered thereby may be expelled radially by the centrifugal force of the spinning.

2. In a method for forming a tubular concrete member in a tubular rotatable chamber having a barrier at its end with a surface transverse to the axis of rotation for substantially dening the end surface of the member, the combination of steps which comprises covering said end barrier surface with an area of filtering material, introducing wet concretemix into said cham-ber and. spinning the latter about a longitudinal axis ata suicient speed to cause the concrete to be distributed over the inside of the chamber and forcefully to expel water from the mix by centrifugal action, said filtering material acting to protect the end surface of the member against erosion by iltering water from the adjacent portions of the mix through the material and such material providing interstices along the end barrier surface through which such water is expelled radially by said centrifugal force.

JOHN T. PARRETT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Crane et al. Feb. 9, 1943 

